Wide Belt Sanders
A wide belt sander is a woodworking machine used to sand and finish flat and contoured surfaces on wood, metal, plastic, and other materials. It consists of a conveyor belt that moves the workpiece through the sanding process and a sanding head with multiple sanding belts or discs used to remove material and smooth the surface. Wide belt sanders are typically used in the production of cabinetry, furniture, flooring, and other wood products. They are designed for sanding large, flat surfaces quickly and evenly, with a high degree of accuracy. Some wide belt sanders can perform multiple sanding operations in a single pass, such as rough sanding, intermediate sanding, and finish sanding. The type and grit of the sanding belts or discs used on a wide belt sander depends on the material being sanded and the desired finish.
A wide belt sander typically has multiple heads that perform different sanding operations to smooth, level, and finish wood, metal, or other materials. The following are some of the most common types of heads used in a wide belt sander:
Contact drum head: This head uses a rotating drum to sand the material and is used for initial rough sanding and levelling.
Platen head: This head uses a flat sanding surface to sand and finish the material, and it is used to remove cross-grain scratches and to achieve a uniform finish.
Combination head: This head combines a contact drum and a platen head and performs rough and fine sanding operations in a single pass.
Brush head: This head uses a rotating brush to denib and deburr the material. It is used to remove saw marks and other imperfections.
Profile sanding head: This head uses a special sanding pad to sand profiles and contours into the material. It is used to add decorative elements or to match existing profiles.
The type of head used in a wide belt sander depends on the material being sanded and the desired finish, and multiple heads can be used in sequence to achieve the desired result. Some wide belt sanders are also equipped with additional heads, such as edge or oscillating sanding heads, to provide additional sanding options.